Get Your Bulbs for Fall Planting Next Week

HELLO, I’M LAURIE SIGILLITO WITH THELOCAL NEWS NETWORK, AND I’M HERE TODAY AS PART OF OUR ROAD TORECOVERY SERIES. SPEAKING WITH MELANIE PALMER, WHO IS A CURATOR FOROUR DURANGO BOTANICAL GARDENS. SO MELANIE, TELL ME, WHAT DOES THATMEAN TO BE THE CURATOR?

HELLO, LAURIE. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVINGME TODAY. A CURATOR IS SOMEONE WHO IS IN CHARGE OF A COLLECTION LIKEAT A MUSEUM, AT A LIBRARY, EVEN SOME CLOTHING STORES, I GUESS. BUT MYJOB IS TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THE PLANTS THAT ARE IN THE BOTANICGARDENS AND TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVEON EACH PLANT THERE.

SO YOU GUYS HAVE A BIG EVENT COMING UPTHAT YOU’RE HAVING TO PIVOT BECAUSE OF COVID. SO TELL ME ABOUT THAT ALITTLE BIT.

YES. OUR BIG EVENT IS OUR FALL BULBSALE THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY HOLD IT IN OCTOBER AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ONLINE SALESTARTING THIS SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST, STARTING AT 8:00 AM. AND,NORMALLY, WE WOULD GET THE QUANTITIES OF BULBS IN AND REPACKAGE THEMAND THEN OFFER THEM FOR SALE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS, BUT WITH AN ONLINESALE, WE’RE GOING TO OFFER THEM FOR SALE JUST FOR THESE EIGHT DAYS.ONCE WE KNOW HOW MANY BULBS THAT PEOPLE WANT, WE HAVE THE BULBS ONRESERVE AT OUR SUPPLIER IN HOLLAND, THEN WE’LL PLACE THE ORDER ANDGET THEM IN. AND THE BULBS WILL BE PICKED UP ON OCTOBER 17TH OR 24THAT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

WELL, THAT’S A GOOD PIVOT. SO WHAT ISTHE A WEBSITE THEY NEED TO GO TO, TO BE ABLE TO START VIEWING THESEBULBS.

IT’S DURANGO, BOTANIC GARDENS.ORG. ANDUP IN THE LEFT, THERE IS A TAB THAT SAYS BULB SALE PREVIEW, AND YOUCLICK ON THAT AND IT BRINGS UP SEVERAL PAGES THAT LOOK LIKE THIS,THAT HAVE GORGEOUS PICTURES OF ALL THE BULBS AND TELL HOW THEY’REPACKAGED.

WE DO GET THEM IN QUANTITY AND THEN WE REPACKAGETHEM IN QUANTITIES OF EITHER ONE, THREE, FIVE, OR 10. SO, THAT WILLBE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO VIEW AND MAKE YOUR SELECTION OF THINGS YOUWANT TO PLANT. AND WE HAVE  JUST A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF THINGS THATBLOOM ALL THE WAY THROUGH EARLY APRIL THROUGH JULY. SO, THERE IS AWONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU’VE NEVER GROWN BULBS BEFORE, THIS IS AGREAT OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE YOU CAN BUY SMALL QUANTITIES OF BULBS ANDPLANT THEM AND SEE HOW THEY TURN OUT AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE THEM. ANDTHEN ORDER MORE IN THE FUTURE. ALL OF THE BULBS HAVE BEEN SELECTED TOBE COLD HARDY IN OUR AREA. AND, SO THEY, THEY WORK IN ALMOSTEVERYBODY’S GARDEN HERE.

OH, WELL, THAT IS GREAT. SO NOW THIS ISYOUR MAIN FUNDRAISER THIS YEAR CAUSE SO THE OTHERS HAVE HAD TO BECANCELED AS WELL? RIGHT?

RIGHT. WELL, UNFORTUNATELY YES, IT ISOUR MAIN FUNDRAISER. NORMALLY, WE HAVE A HOME GARDEN TOUR IN JUNE,WHICH HAD TO BE CANCELED. WE ALSO HAVE OTHER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS THATGENERATE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY ALSO HAD TO BE CANCELED.WE WERE WORRIED THAT THE BULB SALE WOULD HAVE TO BE CANCELED, BUT WECAME UP WITH A WAY, THANKS TO OUR TREASURER, TO SET UP THIS ONLINESTORE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THIS FUNDRAISER. SO WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE’SSUPPORT.

SO REAL QUICKLY, HOW MUCH ARE YOUHOPING YOU GUYS CAN RAISE THIS TIME AROUND?

WELL, WE NORMALLY RAISE ANYWHERE FROM$4,000 TO $6,000. SO WE’RE HOPING TO RAISE AROUND $5,000. WE’VE HADTO PUT ALL OUR DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR OTHER GARDENS AROUND THE LIBRARYON HOLD THIS YEAR. SO WE’RE HOPING TO GET ENOUGH MONEY TO START ONSOME OF THOSE NEW GARDENS. AND WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP RAISING FUNDSJUST FOR THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE AND WEAR AND TEAR ON THE GARDENS.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK. AND FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING,PLEASE GO TO THE DURANGO BOTANICAL GARDEN.ORG. IT’S DURANGO.

OH, SORRY. IT’S DURANGO BOTANICGARDENS, ALL ONE WORD, DOT ORG AND TO SEE THE BULBS SO AWESOME. ANDTHANK YOU FOR WATCHING LOCAL NEWS NETWORK AND WE’LL BE BACK WITHANOTHER SEGMENT SOON. THANK YOU, LAUTIE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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